Age of Empires is a leader in real-time strategy games. The anticipation for the long-awaited fourth installment is much greater. AoE IV will be examined in more detail at the fan preview on April 10. A second spring for this iconic series might be on the horizon.
The launch of Age of Empires IV is getting closer. Enough reason to revive nostalgia for this RTS series of games. Because Ensemble Studios developer and Microsoft publisher created one of the most popular strategy game series at the end of the 1990s.
Age of Empires dazzles millions of players because it reflects the history of mankind and lets you experience it with fun items in quick succession. The major side effect of the game series is the association with historical events in the campaigns. Even for the complaints in history class, this game was a new way of gaining historical knowledge while playing.
From Egypt to Rome
Age of Empires, original title from 1997, begins with the rise of Egypt in the varied campaign. From hunters and gatherers to farming and animal husbandry to the Siege of Canaan – a portion of Egyptian history in antiquity, including development, can be reenacted in individual missions.
The game starts in the Paleolithic era with many scenarios and missions. Four primary materials are always important: food, wood, stone and gold. During the Neolithic and Bronze Age, the maximum was reached in the Iron Age. Next available are the best warriors, archers, druid skills, ships, and more.
Some of the other superpowers of the time were also playable and included in campaigns. After Egypt continued with ancient Greece, the former world city of Babylon and the Japanese Yamato dynasty. A year later, the successful expansion made the “Rise of Rome” a fitting addition to world-famous rulers such as Julius Caesar.
Developers have developed a recipe for success in the Age of Empires. On the one hand, they looked at competition in the RTS genre: the focus was on Warcraft and Command & Conquer and Civilization. The makers of AoE looked at the best features of these games and wanted to set a similar standard for their work. And here human history had an essential aspect in the unique selling point of the Age of Empires.
Fat car in ancient times
Cheaters have also achieved legend status since the first AoE. For those who find the mission extremely difficult, long, or just troublesome, “Bigdaddy”, for example, is a perfect pre-Christ combat vehicle that can wipe out an opposing army within seconds with 300 attacks.
Funny changes are introduced by cheaters like “Flying Dutchman,” in which warships are suddenly directed ashore. And if you run out of food, Pepperoni Pizza can help, too. Silence, suddenly there are 1,000 more food items on the account – faster than any delivery. Many other irrational things like lasers or nuclear fighters have found a place in the game through cheats. This continued into the final version of 2018.
Successor with the famous era of Kings
Age of Empires II – The Age of Kings is one of the most played AoE titles ever, and thus one of the most famous. It played a huge role in the series’ continued success, selling 25 million games and grossing $ 1 billion.
The gameplay in AoE II and in all subsequent suffixes is always very similar to the original. For this, the era has changed, as everything revolves around the Middle Ages. Accordingly, the ascent did not result in the same as in the Iron Age of the original game, but in the Imperial Age. A great advocate of Age of Empires II is German content creator HandOfBlood, himself a passionate AoE player who also proves his skills in the process.
Scenario editors and online multiplayer also included that Age of Empires was also linked to the first esports titles. In 2018 and 2019, the first two AoE titles received final releases with improved graphics and improved gameplay.
The surnames left under the slogan “Age of Myths”, which were based on ancient myths and even giants, remained in the shadows of the great titles. But with Age of Empires III in 2005 at the latest, AoE’s empire is back on the road to success. In colonial times, Microsoft set its sights on the next era and continued with many add-ons. Accordingly, the scene is very excited for the new Age of Empires IV game, which Microsoft will present in more detail on April 10.
It’s easy to play, yet very deep
It feels a bit like being a god. At least it would be appropriate to look from the sky at a world in which the player in question decides for himself to build people, build homes, collect food, and raise armies. The epic music gives recreated ages more after effect and makes the entire Age of Empires series unique.
“What makes Age of Empires so special: It’s easy to play, but so deep,” said Joe Staten, Microsoft’s Creative Director. “Anyone can have fun with it, but it takes great skill to master it.”
